Zenith
The Zenith is a heavily armed Vaul gestalt warship. All engagements involving Hybrids have resulted in heavy losses for the other races. To avoid repeating the same mistakes with the Protoss and Zerg, research into countermeasures was given top priority. Recent advances in Protoss technology and Zerg evolutions have had only marginal effects in virtual simulations. The Vaul found their own units to be vastly inadequate against fully developed Hybrids. With all options quickly being exhausted, they finally turned to the unconventional tactics of the Terrans for inspiration. During their research, nothing satisfactory could be found in any of the official and classified military data they acquired. It was not until they stumbled across Terran software designated as The Lost Viking did a means of combating the Hybrids appear. Intrigued by data on something called the Terra-tron, the Vaul were reminded of the merging of Protoss Templars into Archons. This concept of smaller components combining into a more powerful entity not only formed the basis of Interface technology, it began the development of Project: Zenith. When a Vulcan and four Darkstars combine into a Zenith, their crystal cores merge and create intense chain reaction of psionic energy. This sudden influx of psionic energy warps time and space in the area. Using matter-energy conversion, Zeniths reform themselves into a gestalt battleship the size of a Terran Colony ship. In this form, Zeniths attack with psionic orbs fired from each Darkstar. Salvos of these orbs punch through any form of defense and explode with great force. Due to their psionic nature, the orbs can be used to annihilate squadrons of light to medium air targets, heavy bombardment, or a combination of both with unparalleled precision. Redirecting power from the Vulcan's Cannon to form the orbs, Zenith's have almost infinite amounts of artillery. The only limits to this form is its inability to deal greater damage to more heavily armored targets. Which is easily rectified by transforming into the secondary form. Roughly based off copied Terran Viking schematics, Zeniths can transform into a massive humanoid mech for ground based combat. With shields are at full power, they can surpass an Odin in endurance. It would take a fleet of no less than ten Battlecruisers firing their Yamato Guns at once to take down a fully shielded Zenith. Diverting power from propulsion systems, these mechs fire concentrated ion blasts from their arm mounted cannons. Each blast can obliterate a Thor-class mech in one shot, while Ultralisks and Battlecruisers can be destroyed in two. Similar to flight mode, a Zenith in Ultra Mode is more suited to single targets rather than multiple. To rectify these limits, they can be escorted by smaller fighters to avoid being swarmed. A small squadron of three Zeniths can easily lay waste to any enemy base within minutes. There are drawbacks to the Zenith's size such as being an easy target to hit with heavy artillery. In some situations, they need to separate back into their component parts to avoid being destroyed as one. This is tactically effective in confusing enemy formations while at the same time increasing combat options (Star Trek - Voyager: [Prometheus class Starship). Multiple fail-safes are in place to force an emergency Separation in the event of the gestalt sustaining too much damage. This emergency separation takes a huge strain on structural integrity and plasma shielding, so once apart each piece is vulnerable to any form of attack. Even so, Zeniths are practically impossible to take down without sustaining heavy casualties. Special abilities: *'Warship Mode (default - air)': **'Separate (autocast)' - unit can disconnect into its component parts (1 Vulcan and 4 Darkstars). Each component loses all Plasma Shielding and must wait 15 seconds before they can combine back into a Zenith. If Zenith has less than 30% health, it must separate into component parts (each with 50% health and depleted shields) **Attacks multiple targets with salvos of 20 crystal shards each dealing 10 damage (+10 vs light) *'Ultra Mode (ground)': **Unit attacks with a single ion blast dealing 350 damage (+200 vs Massive) Notes Inspirations: * Transformers: Combiner * Transformers - Cybertron: Ark * Stargate: Aurora-class battleship and Drone weapon Category:Vaul units